You’ve decided you’re going to start your whole food journey so you can be healthier. And you’ve chosen which whole food path you’re going to take. Yay! Now you’re wondering how you’re actually going to lose weight with this new whole food lifestyle. You’re smart enough to know that just because you’re eating healthy, it doesn’t automatically mean you’ll lose weight. So in this post, we’ll go over how to lose weight on the whole food diet.

Whole Foods Eating Series

This is the fifth article in a series of Whole Foods Eating articles. Click the links below to follow along.

How To Lose Weight on the Whole Food Diet

Oftentimes simply making better food choices is enough to jump-start weight loss. But for some, extra effort is needed. If you fall into this category, it may simply mean that you need to re-evaluate the steps you’ve taken on your whole food path. Luckily, if you make the following adjustments, you can lose weight on the whole food diet.

1. Keep A Food Journal

One of the first adjustments to make is to get organized. To do this, you’ll want to get a food journal. Because with a journal you’ll be able to accurately account for what foods you’re eating and how they make you feel.

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What can sometimes happen with the whole food diet, or any diet for that matter, is you start eating whole or clean foods, but the scale shows you haven’t lost any weight. When you start tracking what you eat in your journal, after some time you can begin to discover what could be the cause.

It could be that you’re actually eating more sweet foods than you think. Even healthy foods like honey and bananas when eaten too often can hinder weight loss. See “Don’t Eat Too Much High Sugar Content Food” below.

Also, you may not be eating enough foods rich in fiber. See “Eat Foods Rich In Hydration And Fiber” below.

Maybe your body reacts to certain foods in ways you’re not even aware of. A journal that allows you to track how you feel after eating can help reveal if that’s the case. See “Consider Paleo” and “Consider Whole30” below.

3. Eat Foods Rich In Hydration And Fiber

Next, eat more whole foods rich in hydration and fiber. These foods help you to naturally clean out your system.

So try adding these foods rich in hydration and fiber to your diet.

Bell Peppers

Blueberries

Broths and Soups

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Celery

Cucumbers

Grapefruit

Lettuce

Spinach

Strawberries

Tomatoes

Zucchini

4. Consider Paleo

After two or three weeks of using your journal to take inventory of what you eat, look for ways you can be stricter with your food choices. Here’s where the Paleo diet can be a good option. With Paleo, you continue to eat whole foods, but with the following guidelines.

Eat meats, seafood, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit

Cut out dairy, legumes, grains, added sugar

Try this for three to four weeks and continue to journal as you do so. You may find switching to Paleo is just what you needed.

5. Consider Whole30

If you find Paleo isn’t enough, consider the Whole30 program which is designed to give your body a fresh start or a “reset”. You’ll be able to find out how your body responds to certain foods by first eliminating them completely for thirty days, then slowly adding them back. With this method, you can discover how certain foods affect your body.

With Whole30, similar to the Paleo diet, you continue to eat whole foods. Here are the overall food restrictions.

6. Be Consistent

Everyone is different. And not everyone can lose weight easily just be switching to whole food. So if you want to know what works best for you, make sure you continue to track what you eat and how you feel in your food journal.

Being consistent with this step is important, but it can seem time-consuming at first, but it’s worth it. Grab a highlighter and take notes of which foods you do well with and which ones you don’t. Do the same for meals.

After some time you’ll be able to build a menu of meals and a grocery list of foods that help you achieve your weight loss goals. And you’ll have your own custom reference tool to turn to if you need reminders of what works and what doesn’t. By then you won’t have to journal your eating as often.

If you find your weight starts heading in the wrong direction again, you may need to start journaling again to see what the cause is.

7. Keep An Exercise Journal

Just like with a food journal, when you actually write down and track your exercise activities, you may find you’re not doing enough or not doing the right workouts. A combination of both a food journal and an exercise or workout journal is the best route.

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While a discussion of exercise options is beyond the scope of this article, here are some articles that can help shed some light on the subject.

Next Steps

Grab your free copy of this journal and see what changes you can make to lose weight on the whole food diet. Are you eating too much sugar and not enough foods rich in hydration and fiber? Maybe you need to consider the Paleo diet or the Whole30 program. Or it could be you’re not getting the right kind or the right amount of exercise.

You won’t know unless you take a good look at what you’re eating and how much exercise you’re getting. So make sure you grab your free journal.

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Finally get to your ideal weight with this FREE Food & Exercise Journal.

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Before starting this or any diet, exercise or fitness program please consult your physician or other qualified health or medical professional to determine if it is right for your needs. This information is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice and supervision of your personal physician. Any application of this or any other exercise routine set forth in this program is at the viewer’s discretion and sole risk. Read full Disclaimer.

Hi Hayley, yes tracking will help you discover what you can tweak to reach your goals. It’s so easy to eat too much of things that aren’t working for you and not realize it until you write it down and track what you’ve been eating for several days.